Astrology of the Greasers
by SamanthaBlue
Summary: S.E. Hinton told each of the characters' birthdays and their star signs, and I'm writing a series about how astrology influences their characters, and theories on how their signs dictate potential behaviour not in the book.
1. The Crab

**A/N:** A just-for-fun account of each of the greasers' astrological signs and how it relates to their character. Also potential insights to further character growth not seen in the novel. I have done these in order of the characters' introductions in the book, so Pony will be first and Johnny will be last. I have not included Ophiuchus and am using the old dates on the astrological calendar, as this was the calendar used at the time the book was written.

* * *

Ponyboy (Cancer – Leo cusp)

Ponyboy was born, according to S.E. Hinton, on July 22, making him a Cancer, but putting him on the Leo cusp. Ponyboy shows many of the positive traits of a Cancer individual. He is creative, demonstrated in his love for drawing and writing, and he is highly sensitive. Pony is perhaps more keenly attuned to aspects of unfairness within his society. He is able to empathise with people with whom he shares little in common, such as Randy and Cherry Valance. He thinks in abstract ways, imagining his life in the country with his parents still living, and thinking about the consequences of parental abuse for characters like Johnny. All these are positive aspects of a Cancer individual which Pony exemplifies.

There are negative aspects to being a Cancer. Pony is undeniably moody. He runs away from home with the express purpose of sulking (whether he had a good reason or not – his intent was to sulk) and cannot resist speaking extremely negatively of his brother Darry in front of his friends Two-Bit and Johnny and two Soc girls he hardly knew. Pony's overemotional nature causes him to think somewhat extreme thoughts of those around him: at the beginning, he cares little for Darry and sees only that Darry does not care about him, while by contrast he idolizes Soda. Neither of these portraits Pony has painted of his brothers are accurate: we discover that Darry does love Pony as much as he loves Soda, and Soda is an imperfect being, tired of playing the hero.

The closest two relationships Pony has in the book are with Johnny and Soda. Johnny is a Pisces, compatible with Pony's Cancer, but, interestingly, Soda, a Libra, is mismatched.

As a Cancer, Pony, though he does have other school friends, prefers a closer circle of friends and family to form his main emotional support. This is made clear in the novel. Pony is very close to his family, and very close to his gang. This is interesting due to Pony's young age. It's unlikely he was originally school friends with any of the gang. In fact, I theorise that the gang formed predominantly around Soda, the most social of the Curtis brothers whose age closely enough matched the majority of the gang for them to be able to meet in school. Assuming this theory is correct, Pony was most comfortable around his family, so much so that he chose his primary friendship support group from the support group of his brother.

The moon is the ruling planet of Cancer, and water is its element. As such, Ponyboy is adaptable and able to withstand great hardships. This is shown by his remarkably together attitude within the book – only less than a year since his parents died. It is also shown in his adaptability in later life. Conventional wisdom believes that Pony was able to get away from the wrong side of the tracks and lead a new life. This is due to his Cancer nature.

But Pony is not a "pure Cancer": he is also born on the Leo cusp. This is an interesting cusp. While the element of Cancer is water, the element of Leo is fire. While Pony is adaptable, he is also passionate. This can mean both positive and negative things. Pony feels things more than others. He feels things so much they hurt him. As he describes in _The Outsiders_ , greasers feel too much. It is highly likely he was mainly describing himself here: few other characters demonstrated this quite like Pony.

The Cancer-Leo cusp is known as the Cusp of Oscillation. This is clearly demonstrated in Pony's nature. My favourite example of a classic Cancer-Leo moment by Ponyboy is when Cherry questions him about his brother Darry. He had been describing Soda and his horse, and had been feeling quiet and shy about it, not wanting to open up about exactly what followed the selling of Mickey Mouse, but when Cherry asked about Darry, Pony was ruled by the fire element, bursting out angrily about how Darry was nothing like Soda or himself, and did not care about Pony. He was firm in his convictions, refusing to listen to Two-Bit's astonished defense of Darry.

Pony can be somewhat self-absorbed and insensitive. I believe he demonstrates this early in the novel to people like Darry and Steve. He judges them extremely harshly. When Steve questions Pony roughly about why he was walking around alone, Pony immediately assumes the worst and does not give a thought to the possibility that perhaps Steve was genuinely concerned. He does the same to Darry, while having no problem believing Soda's concern for his wellbeing.

As a Cancer-Leo cusp, Pony needs direction for his dramatic nature, a greater purpose. By the end of the novel he finds this greater purpose. He feels the need to tell the world about his story, starting with his English teacher. This is a classic Cancer-Leo thing to do.

With regards to business and finances, Cancers are in need of financial stability and seek to meet this goal. This can be seen in Pony. He demonstrates occasional jealousies and feelings of embarrassment towards his own financial situation. While his moody nature occasionally results in him expressing desires to follow Soda's path and drop out (seen towards the end of the book, when Pony felt Darry was unfairly hassling him about schoolwork), Pony undeniably does dream about financial security, probably to a greater extent than most others in the gang. However, Cancers are capable of sustained hard work which leads to financial security, and Cancer-Leo cusps have the passion needed to succeed big. Cancers gain the most satisfaction feeling they are making a difference.

When it comes to sex, Cancers are as sensitive as they are in any other aspect of their life. They are caring, enjoying foreplay, even massaging their lovers afterwards. The erogenous zone of a Cancer is the chest. However, Pony is a Cancer-Leo cusp. The erogenous zone of Leo is the back, and Leos have excellent back muscles. Leos are extremely talented lovers, though are not ones for experimentation. One can expect Pony to be a very good lover!

As a Cancer, Pony should be wary of illnesses and complaints affecting the stomach. Cancers are prone to indigestion, liver problems, and weight gain later in life. He should also be cautious around alcohol, as Cancers are prone to drink too much due to their water element, while not being terribly good about digesting it.

* * *

 **A/N:** This is just for fun. I hope someone else enjoyed it too. I'm going to do a series of these in the order the boys got their main introduction, which means, if I am correct, Darry is up next!

Would love some reviews.


	2. The Goat

**A/N:** Thanks so much for the reviews – I appreciate all of them! I'm excited for the rest of the chapters – since we're getting away from our main protagonist it's much more exciting to study the remaining characters from an astrological viewpoint, and I have many character theories based on astrology, some of which I've shared (all are, of course, backed up with book evidence).

* * *

Darry – Capricorn

Darry was born on January 5, making him a Capricorn. The Curtis brothers are lucky the oldest is a Capricorn, as it is a very responsible sign. Darry's Capricorn nature grounded in the earth element allows him to think practically and make good decisions. The key phrase of Capricorn is "I economise" – perfectly suited to Darry's fanfiction habit of sitting at the table poring over bills!

One of my favourite aspects of Darry's character is related to his nature as a Capricorn. Darry is intensely loyal. There are several moments in the book where he realises that a certain course of action may result in terrible circumstances for himself, but he does the right thing because he is loyal to his friends and family. He is willing to risk being locked up for participating in the rumble to support his friends, worried only for Pony and Soda who could risk being sent to an orphanage. When Dally calls and tells Darry he has robbed a store and is being hunted, Darry does not hesitate, but immediately says they must hide him. Darry must know the potential consequences of harbouring a fugitive but he is willing to do it anyway. When questioned on his relationship with Dallas, Darry feels no shame saying he was a close friend – Soda, when asked the same question, gives a similarly loyal answer, but with a good deal more guilt. Such signs of firm loyalty are classic for a Capricorn.

Capricorns are rooted in tradition and do not enjoy fanciful distractions, such as daydreaming or too many fiction novels or movies. This is a characteristic of Darry that is revealed in the first pages of the Outsiders, with Pony outlining his differences from his older brother. Capricorns instead look to what they have in their own lives and seek to make the best life they can from it. This is very much like Darry, who, though he lost his college dream, was able to analyse what he did have and make a good life for himself. Conventional wisdom has it that after the novel, Darry succeeds in industry and business. His Capricorn nature would certainly help him find this success.

Pony has trouble connecting to Darry, who is not as openly sensitive as his younger brothers. That is because as a Capricorn, Darry is more than used to weighing things up in his mind and choosing the best way to react to a situation. This may inadvertently make him seem stilted, especially to his younger brother, to whom we can imagine that Darry would not wish to show any kind of weakness. Pony notes that Darry alone did not cry at his parents' funeral. I theorise that this is because Darry believed he had been put into a position in which the most pragmatic thing was to make things easier for his distraught younger brothers. The best way to make things easier was to control his own emotions and work on comforting them. Pony is clearly astonished when Darry does finally open up about his emotions, after their reunion in the hospital. This opening up helps Darry bridge the divide between himself and Ponyboy.

As a Capricorn, Darry has a deep need for security in all things, and might struggle with feelings of low self worth when he fails to achieve all this. Darry had probably had as outwardly perfect a life as can be had by a greaser prior to his parents' deaths; he was popular and well-loved, smart, good at sports, and had a bright future of college ahead of him. It's highly likely he also connected better with his family when he was free from so much responsibility. After this social and future financial security is stripped from him, Darry was forced into a position of authority over his brothers, which would have negatively impacted his relationships with them; and was in a position where he had very little financial security. I have a theory which states that Darry never wanted Soda to drop out, and, like Pony, believed Soda was not dumb, but perhaps lacked drive. I believe Darry only allowed him to drop out knowing that he could not keep his family together without Soda's help. Assuming this, or something like this, is correct would mean that Darry had lost almost all personal control over his circumstances, and would have led to Darry feeling inferior and incapable of doing what he felt was his duty.

Darry does not just suffer in his family and finances after his parents die; he also loses a substantial amount of social support. Pony states that Darry does not have fun anymore – he doesn't have time – and only goes skiing with his friends once a year. It can probably be assumed that he has a dwindling relationship with these friends of his, who, going by elimination, we can determine are not greasers, and who would have very different lives to Darry, who is now essentially an impoverished single parent. Darry also shares a very bitter moment with Paul Holden at the rumble, Paul being a former friend. It can also be assumed that Darry would have lost at least some level of contact with his gang with his reduced spare time, and even suffers rejection from his family. It cannot be denied that Darry does not have quite the relationship Pony and Soda have with one another. While Pony tries to check himself on this by the end of the book, chastising himself for asking for Soda after he wakes up from being sick, they are back to fighting very shortly.

All these examples are ones that would play havoc with a Capricorn's mind, which needs stability as a grounding point to work on their own self-appreciation. Darry, who is merely breaking even on so many aspects of his life, can be assumed to have a great sense of distress and disjointedness with himself and with the world.

As a Capricorn, Darry's erogenous zone is his knees. He would love a bit of a gentle knee massage before sex – but luckily for Pony and Soda, he is unlikely to make a lot of noise. Luckier still, his innate need for structure, planning and stability means he is unlikely to want to take a lover while people are in the house. Capricorns love to take the dominant role during sex, and have incredibly good stamina – Darry could go all night if he wanted to! Perhaps Capricorns have good stamina from practice – they are not excessively creative with positions, and once they find something that works they are likely to return to it. Darry would not say no if a lover suggested they try a little something different once in a while, however.

As a Capricorn, Darry should be sure to eat a lot of protein and calcium to keep his bones healthy – Capricorns are more liable to orthopedic problems as they age, though they are likely to enjoy good health throughout their entire life. Darry should be especially careful of injuring himself in his knees, the center of his stability. Perhaps it is another reason he should listen to his brothers and avoid carrying more than one load of roofing tiles up the ladder – Soda's massages won't work on lost cartilage!

* * *

 **A/N** : I hope people like this chapter. Darry is probably my favourite character and I think about him a lot. Please leave me a review with your thoughts!

Up next is Soda!


	3. The Scales

**A/N** : Once again, thank you for the reviews! They are really appreciated! Been sick all day so have another chapter!

It's **important** to know that with this entry I am taking it as fact that Soda suffers from ADHD. I genuinely believe this is canon as Soda exhibits so many symptoms of it within the book, and so Soda's demonstrated character is influenced by more than just his zodiac sign. Also quick **warning** for very brief, one line and totally non-graphic reference to rape.

* * *

Soda – Libra

Soda is a Libra born on October 8, famously having a birthday two weeks after the events of the novel. Soda is an interesting character to analyse through astrology because while some other characters are painted darker than they really are by Pony's biased first-person view, Soda is probably the only character who gets the exact opposite. I haven't counted, but I would not be surprised if Soda was mentioned as often or more often than more prominent characters like Johnny or Dally, but even with so many rose-coloured mentions we don't see much of the real Soda. Pony worships the ground Soda walks on, so we are given a character with no troubles, who has such an easy life that he brightens the day of anybody who comes near him. Even Steve, almost irredeemable in Pony's eyes, benefits from the glow cast on him by Soda.

Libra, the scales, is all about balance. Soda exemplifies this balance. He is the middle sibling and is the bridge who enables Darry and Pony to function with one another (though, strangely enough, Soda is actually incompatible with his Capricorn and Cancer brothers). I theorise that he is more than the bridge within his family, but the bridge of the entire gang. I have mentioned this briefly before: Soda's age, social nature, and belonging to the only family in the gang that has more than one family member belonging to the gang, suggests that it is likely he brought most of the gang together through school friendships. This likely would have taken place over a few years, before Johnny and Soda's poor grades caused them to be held back any and after Two-Bit's laziness caused him to be held back with the younger ones. I admit that Dally does not quite fit this theory, with his youth in New York and the unlikeliness he would have later bothered with school or (at first) been attracted to someone like Soda, but he could have come in another way.

This status as a social bridge is characteristic of a Libra, who are excellent communicators and diplomats. Pony notes Soda is the only character who can get away with teasing Darry. I don't know that this statement is strictly speaking true, but it demonstrates Pony's acknowledgement of Soda's communication abilities. Libras like Soda can also be a lot of fun. It's clear Soda does not take life as seriously as Darry or Pony. This might mean Soda has less determination to succeed financially than Darry and Pony, but he can certainly make friends a lot more easily. This might be due to the element of Libra, Air, giving Soda a lightness of character and allowing him to feel joy when a sixteen year old dropout and orphan doesn't really have much reason to.

But Libra is the sign of balance, and not everything about Soda can involve friends and fun. In fact, Soda really only manages to narrowly sidestep the dreaded Mary-Sue territory that Pony's hero worship pushes him towards. At the end of the book we realise Soda has fallen into a classic Libra trap and we see the price Libras pay for being so likeable. In working so hard getting Darry and Pony not to tear one another apart, Soda neglects his own emotional needs and finally hits breaking point after he is firmly rejected by the woman he loves. This is a risk for Libras, who like it best when everyone just gets along, and can make the mistake of just saying "yes" too often. Unfortunately for him, Soda is surrounded by stubborn personalities like Darry, Pony and Steve – who as an Aries gets along with and is tempered by Soda's Libra, but who can easily railroad him if Soda isn't careful. Though we never see Sandy in the book and her sign is unknown, I gather from Soda's worship and blindness with Sandy and the fact that she cheated that she, too, was probably allowed to dominate the relationship and got sick of Soda saying "yes" to everything. Libras are all about balance, and they are not meant to be pushed around, but they can fall into the trap of not standing up for themselves and restoring balance in their relationships before people of other signs who are less considerate than they are.

It's a little blink-and-you-miss-it due to Pony's bias, but Soda also shows other negative Libra traits. Soda does demonstrate quite a tendency to be vain. Like all Libras Soda is very good looking and it seems he knows this. He gets a lot of positive attention by members of the opposite sex, and I surmise that, contrary to what I know many others believe, Soda actually encourages this. While teenage girls may be attracted to good looking boys like Soda, nobody is attracted to people who are nasty or tell them to back off. Soda also probably puts effort into his appearance beyond the classic greaser obsession with hair. He has the classical Libran androgynous beauty, but this appearance takes effort as well as a favourable zodiac sign. He is very clean about his looks - unlike many teenage boys, Soda actually takes regular showers (this judging by the positive female attention - girls need good smells as well as good looks to form an attraction to someone). Soda has regular admirers at the DX, and Pony says they are "flirting with" Soda, the implication being that Soda is participating. Pony also says that Soda participates with the other guys in the gang in talking about girls. Soda could probably win these "bull sessions" easily, and, vain as he is, he knows it.

Soda does, interestingly, demonstrate several characteristics that are actually almost opposite to his sign. Libras love beauty, and a typical Libra might go to great effort (and greater expense) making their home as beautiful as they make themselves. Soda, on the other hand, is messy and hardly spends a thing. Growing up in poverty was probably good for Soda to eliminate the trait of spending too much on luxuries, but Soda's messiness is probably a result of his ADHD causing disorganisation. We see that Soda flings his belongings all across the house, from his shirt to his shoes. While Libras can by nature be lazy, they are not so flamboyantly disorganised and take pride in their homes. Sometimes, though, Soda's ADHD can negate some less desirable Libran traits. Libras love luxury and, as mentioned above, can be lazy, but Soda is very active, enjoying fights and rodeos. Libras can also have trouble demonstrating emotions due to their need for balance and poise, while by contrast people with ADHD have trouble regulating emotions. Both sides of this are demonstrated by Soda, who can hold up a happy face much of the time but when pushed too far suffers significant emotional hardship. This is when times are hard; Soda's emotional intensity also allows him to feel heady levels of joy, which he does not bother regulating (this resulting in his ability to "get drunk on just plain living").

Libras seek love more than anything in their lives. Soda, unlike Darry and Pony, doesn't have quite such a need for financial success and security, as long as he has social support. Pony (and I assume Darry as well, although we never see it) is very insistent that Soda is not dumb. One of the few things Pony hates about Soda is that he dropped out. While I would believe Pony is right and Soda is not dumb, but has a learning disability, Soda doesn't seem to mind. This is definitely a good thing, as there was no help for learning disabilities in the 60's, so Soda might as well have been just as dumb as he believed for all the help he was going to get, but Soda acknowledges he is different to Pony and likes working at a gas station. What Soda cannot stand is when he is rejected by Sandy, a girl he loved so much he was going to marry her even though she cheated. The love Soda feels really borders more on obsession than love, and it's demonstrated that the emotional connection is far more important than the physical, unusual for a teenage boy. Since testing an unborn baby's DNA would have been impossible and both Soda and Sandy were certain the baby was not Soda's, the only way they could know was if Soda and Sandy were not sexually active, at least not in the most recent months. This is an interesting point, since unless Sandy's baby was the result of rape it's more than probable that it was Soda's decision not to have sex. With how much he clearly loves Sandy and his teenage libido, it's interesting to ponder why this was the case.

Even if Soda was not sexually active with Sandy, he has the capacity to make someone else very happy if he eventually does choose to have sex! Along with being people of great physical beauty, Libras are fantastic in bed. Their love for equality and balance means they will spend a lot of time making sure their lover gets just as much (or more) pleasure than they themselves do. Soda's ruling planet is Venus, the planet of all things sensual. Libras are versatile, enjoying both vanilla sex and a little of the not-so-vanilla, as long as it's all about pleasure. They are sensitive in their lower back and buttocks and might enjoy playful spanking once in a while. They can also enjoy being both dominant and submissive in sex. Soda's lucky lover can expect romantic hotels far away, rose petals and lots of candles.

Soda should be careful to keep up strength in his lower back, which is liable to injury for Libras. He should also drink lots of water to maintain the important balance in his body and avoid damage to the kidneys. It's a good thing Soda doesn't drink as this dehydrates, which is bad for Libras. Though Soda doesn't seem to be quite the sports star his brothers are, he should make sure to exercise more as he gets into middle age, as Libras are prone to weight gain in later life.

* * *

 **A/N** : This has nothing to do with anything, and the evidence is dubious, but I learned when researching this chapter that it has been suggested that ADHD is caused by excessive consumption of food colouring. Hm…

I just thought that was funny. Please review! This was a really fun chapter, probably because it's more fun finding fault than finding a positive, and since all we're given about Soda are positives I had to find fault. I think I actually came up with a new headcanon while writing it. Steve is coming up next, another character who could use a more well-rounded look than Pony gives in the book.

Just for your amusement I have a mental image of the Curtis family now as Mr Krabs from Spongebob (Pony, Cancer), a set of anthropomorphic scales like the candlestick in Beauty and the Beast (Soda, Libra), and an angry bleating goat (Darry, Capricorn).


End file.
